Endometriosis as a Chronic Disease - Impact on Patients Quality of Life
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.46.66673Keywords
endometriosis, chronic disease, quality of life, women's health, pelvic pain, fertility, social functioning, treatment, multidisciplinary careAbstract
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological condition marked by the presence of endometrial-like cells outside the uterine cavity, most commonly affecting the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and peritoneum. Despite an estimated prevalence of 10% among women of reproductive age, the condition is often underdiagnosed and underrecognized. Many women endure years of symptoms before receiving an accurate diagnosis, resulting in prolonged physical suffering and significant disruption to daily life. Common symptoms include severe menstrual pain, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, and infertility. Due to their cyclical and persistent nature, these symptoms negatively affect women's physical and mental health, social functioning, relationships, and professional life. As there is no definitive cure and symptoms often recur, endometriosis is classified as a chronic illness requiring a comprehensive care approach. This paper explores the multifaceted impact of endometriosis on quality of life and examines key assessment tools such as SF-36, WHOQOL-BREF, and EHP-30. It also includes an overview of current treatment strategies - both pharmacological and surgical - as well as supportive and non-pharmacological approaches. The need for an individualized and multidisciplinary model of care is emphasized to improve outcomes and support the overall well-being of affected women.
References
[1] Parasar P, Ozcan P, Terry KL. Endometriosis: Epidemiology, diagnosis and clinical management. Curr Obstet Gynecol Rep. 2017;6(1):34–41.
[2] Zondervan KT, Becker CM, Missmer SA. Endometriosis. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(13):1244–56.
[3] WHOQOL Group. The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): Position paper from the World Health Organization. Soc Sci Med. 1995;41(10):1403–9.
[4] Moradi M, Parker M, Sneddon A, Lopez V, Ellwood D. Impact of endometriosis on women's lives: A qualitative study. BMC Womens Health. 2014;14:123.
[5] Chapron C, Fauconnier A, Vieira M, Barakat H, Dousset B, Pansini V, et al. Anatomical distribution of deeply infiltrating endometriosis: Surgical implications and proposition for a classification. Hum Reprod. 2003;18(1):157–61.
[6] American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine classification of endometriosis: 1996. Fertil Steril. 1997;67(5):817–21.
[7] Giudice LC. Clinical practice. Endometriosis. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(25):2389–98.
[8] Sampson JA. Peritoneal endometriosis due to menstrual dissemination of endometrial tissue. Am J Obstet Gynecol.1927;14:422–69.
[9] Meyer R. Zur Frage der Entstehung von Adenomyomen insbesondere des Uterus. Zentralbl Gynäkol. 1919;36:745–50.
[10] Stefansson H, Geirsson RT, Steinthorsdottir V, et al. Genetic factors in endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 2002;78(4):774–9.
[11] Lebovic DI, Mueller MD, Taylor RN. Immunobiology of endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 2001;75(1):1–10.
[12] Nnoaham KE, Hummelshoj L, Webster P, d’Hooghe T, de Cicco Nardone F, de Cicco Nardone C, et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: A multicenter study across ten countries. Fertil Steril.2011;96(2):366–73.e8.
[13] Kennedy S, Bergqvist A, Chapron C, D’Hooghe T, Dunselman G, Greb R, et al. ESHRE guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. Hum Reprod. 2005;20(10):2698–704.
[14] Armour M, Sinclair J, Chalmers KJ, Smith CA, Abbott JA. The effectiveness of self-management and lifestyle interventions in endometriosis–associated symptoms: A systematic review. BMC Womens Health. 2019;19(1):1–15.
[15] Vercellini P, Somigliana E, Viganò P, Abbiati A, Daguati R, Crosignani PG. Surgical management of endometriosis: Epidemiological and clinical aspects. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2004;18(2):245–54.
[16] Ware JE, Sherbourne CD. The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36): I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care. 1992;30(6):473–83.
[17] Jones G, Jenkinson C, Kennedy S. Development of the Short Form Endometriosis Health Profile Questionnaire: the EHP-5. Qual Life Res. 2004;13(3):695–704.
[18] Jones G, Jenkinson C, Kennedy S. Evaluating the responsiveness of the Endometriosis Health Profile Questionnaire: The EHP-30. Qual Life Res. 2004;13(3):705–13.
[19] Skevington SM, Lotfy M, O’Connell KA; WHOQOL Group. The World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: Psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. Qual Life Res.2004;13(2):299–310.
[20] Jones G, Kennedy S, Barnard A, Wong J, Jenkinson C. Development of an endometriosis quality-of-life instrument: The Endometriosis Health Profile-30. Obstet Gynecol. 2001;98(2):258–64.
[21] Ferreira AL, Duarte MA, Silva JC, Rosa-e-Silva JC, Bari A, Ferriani RA, et al. Quality of life of women with endometriosis: An integrative review. J Womens Health. 2018;27(3):399–408.
[22] Vercellini P, Viganò P, Somigliana E, Fedele L. Endometriosis: Pathogenesis and treatment. Nat Rev Endocrinol.2014;10(5):261–75.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Maciej Hobot, Paulina Strzałkowska, Wojciech Grabski, Maciej Kosiński, Dominika Szaj, Michalina Raczkowska, Wiktor Szymajda, Aleksandra Trojańska, Monika Kaźmierczak
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 76
Number of citations: 0
